Choosing a selling channel

Choosing a selling channel means deciding where and how customers will buy from you. The channel must be accessible to your intended target market: if your customers do not use a particular website or cannot easily travel to a shop, that channel will not bring in sales, however good the product is.

Product type pulls you one way or the other

Digital channels may be less suitable for products that need to be seen, felt, tried, smelt or tasted before purchase. A customer cannot feel how a rucksack sits on their back or handle a wooden toy to judge its finish through a screen. Physical channels may be more suitable when a product needs trial, personal advice or a demonstration before purchase — for example, fitting a child's bicycle helmet or showing how a sewing machine works.

Weigh up the whole picture

A digital channel is not automatically cheaper: website upkeep, platform fees, packaging and posting all add cost. A shop does not automatically attract more customers: a website can reach a wider market.

Using both channels

Many businesses use both physical and digital channels rather than choosing only one. A business selling handmade wooden garden games could run a stand at weekend craft fairs so customers can lift the pieces and feel the finish, then take orders on its website from people who saw the stand or found it online. Customers can browse in person and buy online, or see a product in a shop and order it later. The right mix depends on the target market and the product.